Lakeside faces recall showdown November 17th

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LAKESIDE, Ore. - While there are several big races on the political agenda in 2010, there's one more big election on the South Coast in 2009 that will decide the political future of one small city.

Located off of Highway 101, the City of Lakeside is known for many things. It's beautiful marina, sprawling scenery and family friendly activities. But lately the city is becoming well known for something else, it's political discord.

If you've driven into Lakeside recently, you can't help but notice recall propaganda on every corner.

The city of roughly 1,500 people is gearing up for a November 17th recall election of it's entire city council and mayor.

"When you see you're city going downhill, you have to do something to save it and this is the only solution there is," says Chief Recall Petitioner Kathy Gould.

She decided that, that solution, was to recall five of the six councilors currently serving the city.

"They don't work together. I could see that the five council members have some kind of a vendetta against the mayor and everything was not productive."

Once word got out of Gould's decision, community members on the other side of things, decided to make a move of their own.

"We decided that starting a recall of our own on the mayor and last city council member, that would allow people to have a vote all the way around," says Chief Recall Petitioner Calvin Walker.

Walker says it took him four days to get the required 128 valid signatures to put Mayor Orville Nelson and Councilor Tim Crockett on the ballot as well.

"We were hoping that by getting enough signatures, we could go to Kathy Gould and say listen, we have the votes, lets just drop this whole thing. They refused, so therefore we end up with a recall election."

Now with a recall election just weeks away, both sides are getting their message out to voters any way they can.

Until then, Lakeside residents will just have to wait and see if their broken city, can come together.

Lakeside went through a similar recall election in 2006 when two council members and a mayor were recalled, costing the city close to $3,500 dollars.